Van Dijk says one Liverpool teammate is now ‘in the form of his life’ | OneFootball

Liverpool kept their perfect start to the Premier League season intact with a 2-1 victory over Everton, and our captain made sure to highlight one player’s form as key to our success.

Virgil van Dijk spoke to The Athletic after the derby and singled out Ryan Gravenberch, insisting the Dutch midfielder is now “in the form of his life.”

Van Dijk praises Ryan Gravenberch after Merseyside derby goal

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Gravenberch set the tone inside the opening ten minutes, volleying Mo Salah’s clever lofted pass beyond Jordan Pickford.

The 23-year-old then turned provider, slipping Hugo Ekitike through to double our lead before the half-hour mark.

It was yet another standout display from Liverpool’s No.38, who has stepped up even further since Arne Slot took charge.

“Ryan is unbelievable. He’s very important to the way we play,” said Van Dijk. “You can see the number of times I try to look for him. It benefits him, me and the team.”

“He’s in incredible shape, in the form of his life. He has to keep going. He’s still so young. The expectation level will always be right up there and that’s what he has to try to reach every three or four days.”

Arne Slot had a similar level of praise for the midfielder after the derby win and it’s great to see how well he’s playing at the minute.

How Gravenberch has become key for Liverpool

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Gravenberch was already voted the Premier League’s young player of the season last year, but his numbers suggest he is kicking on again.

Van Dijk pointed out that Alexis Mac Allister’s ability to cover deeper areas has allowed Gravenberch more freedom to arrive in scoring positions, something that was obvious against Everton.

Our boss also has the luxury of introducing record signings like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak from the bench, showing just how much depth this squad now has.

Slot has already shared how much rotation there will be in the cup match with Southampton and it seems likely Gravenberch will be handed a much-needed rest.

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